Have you seen Tameka Jones?

The tally continues to climb with the continuous cases of young girls that are misused and abused; and Tameka Jones is one that has not been spared of the scourge. Jones, who has been missing since May this year, was last seen at the Granville Place of Safety in Trelawny.

A student of the St. James High School, Tameka, 15, was placed in the home because of her behaviour which was spiraling out of control in the previous months leading up to her placement and her subsequent disappearance.

For a few years prior, her father, Fabian Jones, had allowed Tameka to live with his sister-in-law, Rose, who resides in Hendon, Norwood. He named Tameka’s mother as an absentee parent and the reason he could not keep his daughter as he is unable to care for her as a single parent, coupled with his place of residence which he describes as an unfavourable environment to raise her.

BAD BEHAVIOUR

Tameka had another temporary guardian known only as Wong, who grew frustrated with her ill-mannered ways. Turning to the state for assistance, she was placed in the girls’ home.

Fabian describes some of her bad behaviours as wanting to go out whenever she pleased, which included odd hours of the night, having a lot of friends – some of whom were less than ideal, talking back, and having a brazen demeanour.

The elder Jones from a Fustic Road address says Tameka started behaving wildly ever since she was raped. The rapist has since been dealt with by the law, but Tameka was left with psychological scars which he believes can be linked to her out-of-control behaviour.

“She never used to stay so. Is since that happen to her me think it affect her,” said Fabian. He admitted that this isn’t the first time Tameka has gone missing. He revealed that without saying where, she left for a friend’s home for a few days but had returned.

Like any well-meaning parent, Fabian said he was willing to work with Tameka to get better and had only agreed to send her to the Granville Place of Safety because he believed it would be good for her. Whilst at the Granville Place of Safety, he visited Tameka once every week for the four weeks that she was there because he was rooting for her to be released fully rehabilitated. “Me used to tell her say ‘This a nuh what me want fi you. You must leave company cause me have it hard,’” lamented Jones.

NO REMORSE

But Tameka, he believes, felt no remorse and was eager to be rid of him. Fabian recalled that in some of their conversations, she would explain that, “Me well waan get away because you too strict,” adding that she didn’t want to live with her aunts because they are also disciplinarians.

Despite being a troublesome teen, Fabian, who wants the best for his daughter, is still searching for her. He is particularly saddened because September 13 would have been her 15th birthday.

If anyone has seen, heard from or know the whereabouts of Tameka Jones, please call 119 or your nearest police station. Her father Fabian Jones may be reached at (876) 799-7163.